New protests in Iran after a week of ruthless repression

After a week of ruthless violence to break up street demonstrations, hundreds of arrests of opposition activists, many in the dead of night, and tough warnings of worse to come from "Supreme Leader" Khamenei and his henchmen, the western press had begun to gin up retrospectives on the latest Iranian protests on the assumption that they were over.

Maybe, but maybe not. Thousands of demonstrators in Tehran clashed with police again Sunday, as they chanted the name of the opposition's leading candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi. Mousavi didn't show up in person but he did address a speech to the protesters via cellphone. And another opposition candidate for President, Mehdi Karroubi, did show up.

Both Mousavi and Karroubi continue to demand a new election, despite Khamenei's blunt warning last week that they had better get on board.

It's hard for anyone to say exactly what is happening inside Iran, much less what will happen, but it's clear that the protest movement has a lot of life left in it and continues to press for greater democracy and more freedoms.

Andrew Sullivan, who has been keeping up with events in as much detail as anyone in the U.S. can, has a lot more.

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